Worcester County Inter-Club Relay Championships - 2nd July 2006

Report by Stewart Nicklin

As usual (as I keep trying to tell ya!!) it was another very hot day and guess where we all were . . . . YES THE SIDE OF ANOTHER POOL!! GREAT!!

This time it was the turn of Worcester for the 100m IM and relay Championships, this event is always manic with so many things going on, and this year was certainly no exception and just to push us to the max the temperature poolside was 40 degrees!!! ( - no joke I saw the thermometer!!)

In Session 1 saw the girls 100m IM and half of the relays (including the Golden Oldies swims!!). The 100m IM saw 19 girls take to the pool with excellent times and results across the age groups. In the 1st session of relays everyone swam exceedingly well with us getting into 8 of the 10 finals a great achievement. Of these finals we achieved one gold medal (Boys 13/14 yrs Medley Team: Sam Rowbotham, Graham Harrington, Adam Cox and Steven Nock) three silver medals (Mens 15/16 yrs Freestyle Team: Tom Burchell, Harry Lord, Robert Hanson and Sean Taylor, Ladies 13/14yrs Freestyle Team: Ellis Ward-Brennan, Charlotte Rowbotham, Becky Evans and Sarah Pearson, and Ladies 15/16 yrs Medley Team: Sam Pinchin, Zoe Hunter, Hannah Mocklow and Natalie Blakemore), one bronze medal (Mens Open Medley Team: Adam Hennessy, Scott Taylor, Anthony Millard and James Nock), two fourth places (Girls 9/10yrs Freestyle Team Lauren Sanders, Katie Jones, Emily Tinano and Bethany Davies, and Ladies Open Freestyle team: Stephanie Walker, Laura Blunt, Sophie Lord and Becky Hodt) and one fifth place (Mens 9/10 Medley Team: Jake Knight, George Hammesley, Jarryd Aston-Baugh, and Sam Tromans). In addition the golden oldies relays were swam with each team having to have a combined age of over 100yrs. Session 1 saw the mens team consisting of Adam Hennessy, Stewart Nicklin, Marc Soulsby, and Richard Bradford. After some seriously slow swimming we came in 1st and got the gold medal!!!!

Session 2 saw the Boys turn to swim the 100m IM and the rest of the relays.  This session saw 18 boys compete the IM and what times they produced with again some excellent time and high places in the age groups. However out of six people qualify for the County 100m final, four of them were Stourbridge!  A fantastic achievement. And so into the relays.  With everyone giving it there very best in the Egyptian temperatures, we were all getting very tired but still qualified for seven of the finals. In a last drive for the medals we had great success with one team winning gold (Men's 15/16 yrs Medley Team: Harry Lord, Robert Hanson, Sean Taylor and Tom Burchell), three teams getting silver (Men's 13/14 yrs Freestyle Team: Sam Rowbotham, Adam Cox, Steven Nock, Graham Harrington, Ladies 13/14 yrs Medley Team Ellis Ward-Brennan, Charlotte Rowbotham, Becky Evans, Sarah Pearson, Ladies Open Medley Team: Stephanie Walker, Becky Hodt, Sophie Lord and Laura Blunt), two teams collected bronze (Ladies 15/16 Freestlye Team: Hannah Mocklow, Sam Pinchin, Zoe Hunter and Natalie Blakemore, Ladies 9/10 Medley Team: Katie Jones, Lauren Sanders, Beth Davies and Emily Tinano) and one fifth place (Men's Open 200m Freestyle Team: Adam Hennessy, Harry Lord, Anthony Millard and James Nock).

Other relay teams were:

Boys 11/12 yrs Anthony Parkes, Joe Burnie, Tom Asprey, Tom Green
Girls 11/12 yrs Hayley Davies-Moore, Ellie Lord, Fran Pinchin and Becky Shaw

Overall the club achieved our 2nd place which we have held for the last 3 yrs but just missed out on achieving the boys overall trophy by a few points after leading at the end of the 1st session.

It was a great achievement for the club showing its depth of talent that we hold across all age groups (including MASTERS!!). Well done everyone, and I’m sure that you all wish Harry Lord and Thomas Burchell good luck in there next swims at the ASA Nationals in August at Sheffield, GOOD LUCK BOYS!

Stewart Nicklin
Head Coach.